


Paralysing Shyness

by Debs1990



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-18 22:30:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8178511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debs1990/pseuds/Debs1990
Summary: Neville Longbottom admires Luna Lovegood from afar and despairs of his shyness.





	

** Paralysing Shyness **

 

.oOo.

Neville Longbottom sighed as he stared longingly at the Ravenclaw table. As usual, the blonde haired object of his affections was reading the Quibbler, and it appeared to be upside down. A soft smile appeared on his face as he continued to watch her, unaware of the sniggering from his dorm mates.

“Gazing adoringly at Loony Lovegood again, eh, Longbottom?” Seamus asked him, making Dean almost choked on his pumpkin juice.

Neville glared angrily at his friends. “I’ve told you not to call her that,” he snapped.

Seamus rolled his eyes in amusement. “Sorry,” he remarked in a way that suggested he wasn’t sorry at all.

“If you like her so damn much, why don’t you go and talk to her?” Dean asked him.

Neville snorted. “Have you forgotten who you’re talking to? Neville Longbottom, the joke of Gryffindor, remember?”

The mirth went out of Seamus’s eyes at Neville’s self-deprecating words. “Well, no wonder if you keep putting yourself down like this, mate. You need to work on boosting your confidence, and talking to Lovegood could be the key to unlocking your self-confidence.”

“I think that could be the silliest thing you’ve ever said, and that’s saying something,” Neville told his best friend while reaching for the butter dish.

“No, it isn’t. Look!” he pointed towards the Ravenclaw table. “She’s looking at you and waving, so perhaps she likes you back.”

Neville looked towards Luna so quickly he was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. Seamus was right. She was indeed looking right at him and waving. Unfortunately, Neville’s shyness got the better of him, and his cheeks turned a shade of red so bright that it could rival Ron’s hair. All he could manage was a weak smile, but to his amazement, Luna smiled back. His heart skipped a beat and he didn’t come back to his senses until someone clicked their fingers in front of his face.

“Earth to Neville,” Seamus said while Dean laughed heartily. “You really have got it bad, eh, Neville?”

Shrugging sadly and nodding in agreement, Neville sighed and felt more helpless than he’d ever felt before. “Yep. That’s the problem.”

 

.oOo.

“Hi, Neville.”

He stopped in his tracks when he heard her melodic voice calling his name. Turning to stare at her, he tried to summon up the courage to return her greeting.

“Hi, Luna,” he managed to murmur, after several agonising seconds when he wanted the ground to swallow him up.

Luna seemed unperturbed by his awkwardness, which was one of the things that Neville liked the most of her. Nothing seemed to faze her, and no matter what she was true to herself; how Neville wished for just an ounce of her self-confidence.

“There’s a Hogsmeade visit coming up soon. Are you looking forward to it?”

Unable to force any words out of his mouth, Neville nodded.

“I was supposed to go with Ginny, but she’s got a date with Michael Corner now.”

“Oh,” Neville answered, wanting to hex himself at his uninspiring response. Any other boy would be asking her to go with him, but all he could muster was “Oh.” Sometimes, he loathed himself.

A flicker of an emotion he couldn’t name flashed across Luna’s face. However, it was gone before he was able to interpret what it was.

“Well, I’d better get to class. Bye, Neville.”

“See you, Luna.”

She smiled weakly at him before walking off, and if Neville didn’t know any better he would say she was slightly disappointed by the way their conversation went.

 _That makes two of us,_ he thought as he headed off to Herbology.

 

 


End file.
